Feel for You
by Iris Omega
Summary: Maya cannot come to grips with her mother's death. No one understands her better than Edgeworth. Can she let someone comfort her for a change? Post T&T. Spoilers. MayaxEdgeworth. Chapter V up!
1. Chapter I

**Author's Note**: Ahh, finally! I **finally** sat myself down and forced myself to write a _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney_ fanfic. I am so thoroughly in love with the series and finally finished _Trials and Tribulations_ the other day (yes, I know, I'm terribly behind the times). _T&T_ really solidified my love for the Maya/Edgeworth pairing. I think that they're great together. Or could be, anyways…

Anyways. That said…I hope that you guys enjoy this. It's going to be multi-chaptered, but will probably only have a couple more chapters, because I can't keep up with long multi-chaptered stories. I'm a major flake. I won't deny it.

What would definitely keep me more motivated, though, is if you guys would take the time to review. I don't like begging for reviews, so I'm not going to beg, but the simple truth is that, without reviews, I'm just going to lose my motivation and stop writing the story. So, if you guys want to see more, please let me know!

—

**Disclaimer**: I really hate to admit this, but…I don't own _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney_. At all. Even though I bought all three of the games. Um. That doesn't mean that I own the series. I wish that it did, though…

—

It was dark outside. Pitch-black, really. Even though streetlights dotted the horizon here and there, the starless sky seemed to swallow the entire city whole. It wasn't doing anything for Maya's nerves. Shivering, she pulled her fluffy Pink Princess blanket even more tightly around her small frame. Her long black hair was devoid of its usual bindings and was allowed to cascade freely down her back and shoulders. It was, however, matted and sticking to her bare skin, as she had broken out into a cold sweat.

Even in the condemnably early hours of the morning, Maya Fey couldn't seem to get herself to sleep. It had only been a few days since Godot's trial and Iris' re-trial. Everything had finally come to light concerning the incident at Hazakura Temple, and no one could possibly be happier. No one but her, of course.

_Mother…_

A lone tear escaped down her cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut, burying her head in her blanket-clad arms. Godot finally found redemption in his sentence, and she knew that he would learn to live once again. Iris resigned herself to serving her time, obviously with the hope of reuniting with Nick—or "Feenie"—once her sentence was up. Nick…well, the trial had traumatized him as well, to a certain degree, but…in all honesty, she had never seen him happier. Apparently, he had never stopped loving Iris, even though he thought that he had fallen in love with Dahlia, to begin with. Even through all of that…he kept loving her. It was astounding, really.

But where did that leave Maya?

Godot, _Diego_, loved Mia, but didn't even know Maya at all on a personal level. There was no way that she could talk to him about what she was going through. Nick was just so happy. How was she supposed to ruin that for him? She couldn't do it. And Pearly…well, Pearly had been through so much, and she was just a little girl. Maya had to remain strong for her. There was simply no choice in the matter.

Who did she have left? As always, she found herself on the outside, unable to partake in everyone's happiness. As always, she knew that she had to manufacture her own happiness, or else she would be doomed to remain miserable. With a fake smile plastered on her face, she would carry on through life, hoping only to bring joy and laughter to those whom she cared for.

But…what about her? Who cared for _her_?

Maya knew that Nick loved her in his own way. She was like a little sister to him, and that was something that she could deal with. He was more than an older brother figure to her, though—he was really the only friend that she had, and therefore was incredibly important to her. She didn't want to be the little sister that he could easily ignore at a moment's notice. Maya wanted to be important to someone in the same way that people were important to her. Things never seemed to turn out that way, though. Everyone knew that she was loyal to a fault and never doubted that she would always be there.

Could she really blame them? With that fake smile and cheery disposition, she made everyone believe that she was the happiest girl alive. And, in truth, she _was_ a very happy person. But…what happened at Hazakura Temple scarred her deeply. Maya was in a state of deep pain, and she had no outlet—no one to talk to, no shoulder to cry on. Maya, the perky social butterfly, was alone.

Her mother, Misty Fey, was dead. Gone forever. Maya had always harbored the hope that her mother was alive and would come back to her, but then…the next time she saw her mother, she was dead. Worse than that, she had been _murdered_. But not by Godot—no, by Dahlia Hawthorne. Godot had only wanted to protect her, just like her mother had. How could she blame either of them for that?

She could definitely blame herself, though. Even though she knew that her mother wouldn't want her to…she could definitely blame herself. If it hadn't been for her existence and her constant stupidity, her mother would still be alive. Perhaps a lot of people would still be alive. Maya had never directly murdered anyone, but…maybe, in all reality, she was responsible. Maybe she, the seemingly innocent little girl, had more blood on her hands than anyone she had ever seen convicted in court.

Beginning to cough violently, Maya threw her blanket off, exposing herself to the cold air in her apartment clad in nothing but a pair of pink stretch shorts and a white spaghetti-strapped tank-top. Her almost transparently pale flesh was dotted everywhere with dirty beads of sweat. She made a mad dash for her bathroom, crouching down in front of the toilet only moments before she began to dry-heave. She had spent most of the night throwing up, and, seeing as though she hadn't really eaten anything for the past couple of days, there was nothing left in her stomach at all. That fact, however, did not stop her body from trying to rid itself of what wasn't even there.

Exhausted and finally able to slow her convulsions, Maya slumped back against her bathtub. She knew that she was sick—_really_ sick. She had been sick ever since she had gotten locked in the Sacred Cavern. Maya had an immune system of steel, but even she couldn't go through Hell without getting a few scratches. Unfortunately…she wouldn't let herself admit to everyone that she wasn't alright. She _had_ to be alright. For Pearl. For Nick.

…for herself?

Before she could get too lost in her self-deprecating thought processes, she heard her cell-phone ring faintly in the distance. Clutching her stomach tightly, with a grimace on her usually perky face, she half-stumbled, half-crawled back to her bedroom. In her delirium, she completely forgot that it was about three o' clock in the morning, and there was no reason for anyone to call her. As such, she figured that Nick or Pearly was calling to check up on her, and her heart leaped in her chest. They never noticed that there was anything really wrong with her, but…if there was ever a time that she needed compassion, it was at that exact moment.

Reaching up to her nightstand from her crouched position on the floor, Maya missed her cell-phone and knocked it off of the little table and onto the carpet. She let out a deep, miserable groan and just flopped down on her stomach, grabbing the phone and flipping it open.

"Hello?" Her voice rasped into the phone, almost breaking off at the end of solitary word due to a new fit of coughing choked by tears that had never really stopped flowing.

"…_Maya?"_

Maya's brow furrowed deeply. That voice…it was a man's, but it wasn't Nick's. It was…it was…

"…Edgeworth?" The pure shock and surprise that she felt was enough to scare away her shivers and coughs for a brief moment. Why was Edgeworth calling her? What could he possibly have to say? Her immediate suspicion was that something had happened to Nick or Pearl, or she was suddenly the prime suspect in yet another murder case. The thought was enough to freak her out completely. Anxiety was certainly not good for her condition.

"_I…was calling to see how you are. I know that it's late, but, somehow, I anticipated that you would still be awake."_

Maya could sense his frown, even though she couldn't see him. She knew exactly what expression he had on his face. Edgeworth was a predictable man, but not necessarily in a bad way. He was…consistent. Reliable. Loyal, even. But…since when had he cared about her?

"I…um…yeah, I guess I am." Another fit of coughing threatened to wrack her body, but she struggled valiantly to suppress most of it. Her voice still sounded incredibly weak and raspy, however. There was nothing that she could do about that. "I'm…um…sick."

"_I gathered. Is Wright there?"_

A bit taken aback, Maya blinked, then winced as a blinding pain tore through her head. "N-no… Why…w-would he be?"

All that she received in response was a deep sigh from Edgeworth. It was an accusatory sigh—one that said, "You didn't tell him, did you?" They both knew perfectly well that, if Nick knew that there was something wrong, he would do whatever he could to make it better. But Nick just didn't understand, and she didn't really want him to. Nick was supposed to be happy. She…just wasn't. That's all that there was to it.

"_You sound terrible. I'm coming over."_

Just like that? He sounded so matter-of-fact. So…stern. Maybe she deserved it. Still, she couldn't stop asking herself one very obvious question.

Why did he care?

"…w-why…?" She was too weak to protest, even though she wanted to. She didn't want anyone to see her as she was. That wasn't the Maya that she wanted everyone to know and love. She wasn't a weak person. …was she?

Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough to hold on until Edgeworth could give her an answer. Her eyelids suddenly drooped, and, after one final coughing fit, she simply lapsed into unconsciousness. Thankfully, she was already lying on the floor, so she couldn't hurt herself further by falling onto something hard. Her body simply relaxed as she slipped out of awareness and into a sleep that was as deep and dark as the night outside.


	2. Chapter II

**Author's Note**: I'm back! And in record time, it seems. I don't think that I've ever followed up an opening chapter so quickly. I definitely hope that I can keep my momentum until the end of the story. I'm really, really going to try—I promise. It won't be easy for me, seeing as though I'm the flakiest of all flakes, but I don't want to give up on this one. There aren't enough Maya/Edgeworth fics out there, and that _definitely_ needs to change.

Anyways, this is kind of a filler chapter. Nothing outstanding happens, but it had to be written, seeing as though it sets up the rest of the story. But I'm sure that you all knew that already, so I'm just going to shut up now.

I hope that you enjoy this chapter! As always, please leave a review to let me know what you think. They really do make my day.

—

**Disclaimer**: Once again, I must say that I do not own the _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney_ series. Once again, I must say that extremely depressing phrase. Ah well. Such is life, I suppose.

—

Furious pounding resounded throughout Maya's deathly silent apartment. Groaning and whimpering at the same time, the sickly girl awoke from her unconscious state. She could hear someone yelling her name and recognized the pounding sound as someone knocking on her door—or, rather, banging on the poor wooden structure so frantically that it would probably fall in at any given moment. If she had been in full control of her senses, she would have realized that she had been on the phone with Edgeworth when she passed out. In the back of her mind, she realized that fact, but she didn't make the connection with her current situation.

Feeling as if sixty pounds had suddenly been added to her slender frame, Maya struggled to her feet, stumbling quite a few times and sincerely wondering if she should just remain sprawled out on the floor. Unfortunately for her comfort level, or apparent lack thereof, she could not allow herself to do such a thing. It was weak and pointless to let her condition get the best of her, wasn't it? Besides, it would be unforgivably rude to ignore the knocking on her door—especially when it sounded so incredibly urgent.

…well, Maya wished that she could have had that thought-process. In all honesty, she just desperately wanted the comfort of another person, regardless of the fact that she could barely walk. After dropping to her knees several times, she gave up and made a desperate attempt to crawl towards the door. She tried to yell "Coming!" in order to dispel any suspicions that she had just decided to give up and die, but what came out of her mouth was barely more than a panting whisper. It was pathetic…so incredibly pathetic. But it was fitting, wasn't it? She truly was a pathetic being.

Upon finally reaching the front door, Maya grabbed the large brass doorknob and, with one final burst of strength, hoisted herself up to a standing position. She struggled with the locks for a few moments, all the while swearing under her breath. With a sharp, desperate jerk, the door flew open, and Maya teetered dangerously, ready to collapse once more at any second.

She was not given the opportunity, however. As soon as she began to sway forward more than her equilibrium should have allowed, a pair of strong, magenta-clad arms wound around her small body, supporting her full weight. Blinking blearily, Maya gazed up at her savior with a semi-delirious expression, her cheeks deeply flushed with fever. "Edge…worth…" she managed to murmur before going limp.

—

When she awoke, Maya was lying on her couch, covered with a light blanket. She could hear soft, garbled voices coming from the direction of her kitchen, and, for a moment, she thought that someone had broken in. Her heart practically leapt to her throat, but then the sane portion of her consciousness reminded her that she had let Edgeworth in before she had passed out so gracefully. After coming to that rather obvious realization, Maya's nerves settled down a bit. Getting sick had caused her to become incredibly jumpy. Or…maybe it was the temple incident that had unsettled her so deeply. In any case, she didn't really want to think about it.

Wincing, with a hand pressed to her sweaty forehead, the small girl hoisted herself up to a sitting position. She wanted to make her way to the kitchen to see and hear what was going on, but she knew that she was too weak to make it. When was the last time that she had eaten anything, anyways? In all honesty, she really couldn't remember. It had been so long that she couldn't place it anymore. If she had been in her right mind, she would have been horrified. Maya always ate more than everyone else combined. But…she just couldn't stomach anything anymore. Ever since that day…doing everything had been so difficult. Eating was just too difficult. But so was being sick. Either way, she was losing…terribly.

"Edgeworth…" Instead of Maya's usual cheery voice, a high-pitched, but still soft, whine resounded throughout the room. It barely made it to the kitchen, but, luckily for the poor sick girl, Edgeworth had great hearing. Immediately, the voices in the kitchen stalled, then finished up hurriedly, and Edgeworth closed the door behind whoever the other visitor was. Maya sank back against the couch, her breathing a bit hurried due to the energy that she exerted by sitting up.

With his trademark frown firmly in place, Edgeworth kneeled down in front of the couch, getting on the same level as the exhausted Maya. Despite his rather deadpan expression, concern shone clearly in his grey eyes.

"I just talked to a doctor." As per usual, his voice was a monotone. "I assumed that you would not want me to take you to the hospital, so I arranged a house visit."

At first, Maya was completely taken aback. Edgeworth always seemed so stolid and so uncaring. Even though everyone knew that, deep down, Edgeworth was a sensitive man, his constant unfeeling attitude made people forget about that fact. Maya knew better than that, but even she was shocked by his compassion and insight. He knew full-well that her illness and current state of mind were absolutely humiliating to the poor girl, and that having to be in the hospital would have been mortifying. How he knew…she couldn't really tell. But he did, and she was incredibly touched by the gesture.

"The doctor said that you merely have a common flu, but that you haven't been eating and, in addition, are dehydrated." Edgeworth's frown deepened substantially. "Maya…you haven't been taking care of yourself. Why?"

Maya's gaze fell, and she began fidgeting a bit. Edgeworth already knew the answer—that much was obvious. Lying to him wouldn't do any good, and yet…she couldn't bring herself to speak the truth. She couldn't bring herself to admit it, or to even speak of it. If she couldn't even bring it up to Nick, how was she supposed to talk to Edgeworth about such a sensitive topic? In reality, she didn't know the man that well. While it was true that they had a certain connection (or was she just imagining it?), they knew very little about each other.

…or maybe that wasn't really true at all. Maybe Maya was merely attempting to rationalize her dishonesty. In fact, that was probable. Unfortunately for the poor girl, she wasn't very good at rationalizing things. Maya just…was. When she was happy, she was happy. When she was upset, she was upset. Things were always just as simple as that. But…at that exact moment…things were more complicated, and she knew it. She knew that it didn't have to be, but…it was.

"I'm sorry…" Maya sniffed solemnly, rubbing her nose idly with a pale forefinger. "I just…I…" Her voice was cracking, and it was driving her mad. That wasn't the Maya that she was supposed to be! How could she be so weak? "It's been…a really hard time for me. A really…really hard time…and…" Raising her gaze once more, she forced a teary smile to her face. "I've just been absentminded and distracted. I've been trying to take care of Pearl and haven't been thinking much about myself, I guess…" She trailed off, coughing lightly, still unable to actually look him in the eye.

"Maya…" As she felt a hand under her chin, forcing her to meet Edgeworth's steely gaze, Maya blinked rapidly, her eyes widening significantly. There was something strangely soft in his expression, but his serious gaze still pierced straight through her, causing her shivers to increase ever so slightly. "You shouldn't lie to me. I understand you better than you think."

Oddly enough, to Maya, there was something incredibly threatening about his statement. She felt an uncharacteristically defensive feeling rise up inside of her small frame, and she drew back from his hand, looking like a proverbial deer in the headlights. A brief flicker of confusion, perhaps even hurt, passed through Edgeworth's eyes, but he understood and also drew back, pulling himself up to his feet. They merely remained in their positions for a few moments—Maya lying on the couch with her dejected gaze fixed on the carpet, and Edgeworth standing over her with a rather blank expression set on his face. Then, finally, the silver-haired man cleared his throat, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"The doctor suggested that I hire a nurse to take care of you for at least the next week. I took the liberty of informing him that such a thing was not necessary."

Maya blew out a brief breath of relief. Hiring a nurse was not necessary at _all_. Passing out twice was enough of a scare, so she would be sure to take better care of herself from that point on. She didn't need a nurse. She only nee—

"Until you recover, I will be caring for you."

Maya's head snapped up with record-breaking speed, her onyx eyes as wide as they could possibly be. Edgeworth? Acting as her _nurse_? It was such an absurd notion that she didn't even know what to do or say. Edgeworth was a classy prosecutor, not a caretaker. How was he planning on helping her recover? There were so many questions and no easy place to begin. Frowning intently and biting her lower lip, she focused her gaze on the tall man for the first time in quite a while.

"But…why…?"

Edgeworth remained silent for a brief moment, then simply shrugged. "Because we're the same, and I know what it is like to go through this alone."

With that, he turned and walked into the kitchen to boil some water for tea, leaving a still-confused Maya to sort out her thoughts on her own.


	3. Chapter III

**Author's Note**: Yayy, third chapter! I'm doing well with keeping my motivation to write. Unfortunately…I don't think that the content of my writing quite reflects my motivation. Meh.

So, yeah, I know that this isn't the best thing in the world. To be honest, I don't understand why I can't get anything better out on paper right now. Maybe I'm just too stressed out to write as well as I used to. Since I can't get the content that I envisioned, I guess that we're all just going to have to settle for mindless fluff. I just hope that Edgeworth isn't too incredibly out-of-character…

Anyways. Thank you for your reviews. I really do appreciate them. As always, let me know what you think of this chapter.

—

**Disclaimer**: -sigh- I don't own the _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney _series. Okay? Okay.

—

It wasn't long before Maya was as physically comfortable as she could possibly be, given the circumstances. There was a big, fluffy pillow behind her back and head, a pink blanket tucked neatly around her petite frame, a half-drunk cup of peppermint tea on the table, and the temperature in the apartment had leveled off at just the right place. On the television screen, the Steel Samurai flashed to and fro, slashing through each episode of Maya's precious full-series DVD box-set. Because of the environment, Maya finally felt like she could completely relax. Well…almost completely relax, anyways. She still felt like a pathetic weakling, but…she was too sick to care more than just a little bit.

With a sharp clank, a steaming bowl of beef and vegetable soup appeared on a small fold-up tray in front of Maya. Blinking rapidly, she peered up inquisitively at the towering man before her, still not used to how well he was taking care of her. She never would have guessed that he would be so astute when it came to assisting her recovery.

Still…as she reached out to grab the shiny spoon, she found herself unable to bring any of the soup to her lips. Just the thought of eating made her want to throw up all over again. Even though she had a bad flu, she knew that her physical illness wasn't the main reason as to why she couldn't eat. In truth, she wasn't even remotely hungry—something that was more than disturbingly odd. Her mind was upsetting her stomach more than her flu was. But, when her mind and her flu worked together, it was simply impossible for her to stomach anything—or so she told herself as she heard Edgeworth let out a sigh of mild frustration.

"Maya…you need to eat. Your diet, or distinct lack thereof, is harming your body. You won't be able to recover without any nutrition."

Maya simply blinked up at the man before letting out a sigh of her own. She wanted to tell herself that Edgeworth was being overbearing and that he should just leave, seeing as though she would be able to recover just fine on her own. But…she knew that it wasn't true. Also, she had never been pampered by anyone in her entire life, and…well, it was kind of nice to be taken care of. Even though she still didn't completely understand his motivation, knowing that Edgeworth cared enough to make sure that she regained her health made her feel warm and safe inside.

If she had been in her right mind, perhaps the knowledge of what she was feeling would have alarmed her. Or perhaps she would have told herself that she could have experienced the same feelings if Nick had been taking care of her. That did not, however, change the fact that a light pink flush overcame her otherwise pale cheeks every time that Edgeworth came near her. Deep down, she had admired him for quite some time; she had just never admitted it to herself.

"…fine." Grudgingly, Maya brought a spoonful of broth to her lips, forcing down the urge to choke as it washed down her sensitive throat. The modest sip spawned a brief fit of coughing, but, with Edgeworth standing there watching her with his arms crossed in an incredibly stern manner, the girl forced herself to keep going. She even managed to swallow one or two lumps of beef and a few soggy carrots. Her body was grateful for the small bit of nutrition, but she still had to fight the rising wave of nausea that threatened to rid her of everything that she had just worked so hard for. After about a third of the bowl was drained, Maya slumped back against the couch with a sigh of exhaustion, looking up at Edgeworth with a somewhat pleading, yet childishly defiant, gaze. "Happy?"

A slight smirk twitched at the corners of the silver-haired man's lips. "You act as if eating that soup was the most difficult thing in the world. I may not be a gourmet chef, but my cooking is far from toxic."

Flushing, Maya fidgeted a bit in her seat and gazed down at her crossed arms, her expression becoming a bit pouty. It wasn't that the soup was terrible—in fact, it was quite good, even though she couldn't fully taste it. Either way, that wasn't the point at all. It was just…well, he wouldn't understand, would he? The act of eating the soup wasn't the difficult part. Living, in and of itself, was difficult.

"…thank you, Edgeworth." Her voice was small and apologetic in tone. "The soup was good. Everything…has been good. I'm already feeling a little bit better." It was the absolute truth, and she hoped that he knew, despite her foolish attitude, that she really appreciated everything that he had done for her.

After a brief pause, Edgeworth lowered himself to sit on the edge of the couch, facing Maya, making sure that he didn't sit on her small feet. Instinctively, Maya scooted back so that she could turn her body to face him while simultaneously creating more room for him to sit. It wasn't the biggest or nicest couch in the world, but it was cozy. Thankfully, that thought didn't really cross her mind. If it had, she would have been too embarrassed to really say anything else. Instead, she idly picked at the blanket with her fingernails, feeling rather awkward for, more likely than not, the first time in her life. After a short while, however, she simply could not keep her curiosity to herself.

"Edgeworth…what did you mean earlier?" Finally finding a bit of her usual courage, she raised her gaze to meet his. "What did you mean when you said that we're the same?" No matter how she looked at it, the statement didn't make much sense. They were two incredibly different people.

Edgeworth released a deep breath and leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. "Maya…I know that you remember my trial. For years, I thought that I had murdered my own father. I lived in absolute misery with an immeasurable amount of guilt weighing down on my heart. Instead of finding the truth and reconciling myself with my circumstances, I ran away." His intent gaze bore straight through her. "Just like you're running away now."

Maya couldn't help but flinch slightly. Her initial instinct was to become defensive, but there was no real point in that. He was right, and he knew it, so there was no reason to deny it.

"Even when I found out the truth, that von Karma was my father's murderer, I felt that his death was my fault." His voice trembled ever so slightly with some unidentifiable emotion as he continued, but he quickly cleared his throat and righted himself. "I felt that, if I hadn't passed out, I could have protected my father. But that wasn't the truth. If I hadn't passed out, I would have been killed, as well. There came a point where I had to stop running and understand reality for what it was…and what it is."

Feeling a strong hand fold over hers, Maya blinked slowly, finding herself completely drawn into his words and startled by the sudden movement. There was a certain amount of desperation in his eyes, and, at first, she didn't understand why. But then she could tell. Silently, he was pleading with her. _Please don't be like me_.

"Maya, your mother's death was not your fault. Misty Fey died in order to protect you, because she loved you more than she loved her own life. There was nothing that you could have done for her, except for what you have already done. You are still alive, so that means that she did not die in vain."

Maya suddenly found herself having to choke back a sob. What he was saying…was it really the truth? Of course it was—it was, and she knew it. Her onyx eyes misted over with tears and her breath hitched in her throat.

"Your mother would want you to _live_, Maya. Not run away. Not hide. She would want you to stand tall with your head held high, facing the world with a smile, just as you always have."

That was about as much as Maya could take. His words tore down her carefully crafted barriers, and she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Her ivory hands covered her face as she burst into a fit of sobs, her small body shaking convulsively as her pent-up sorrow, mixed with a new-found relief, poured out of her like a flood.

It had only been a few days, but it seemed that she had been keeping everything inside forever. There was no one else for her to really talk to, and she never would have guessed that she could confide in Edgeworth, of all people. She had completely misjudged him, even though she had always prided herself on giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. They…were much more similar than she had previously thought. And he was so much more sensitive and caring than she ever would have expected.

Before long, a warm, strong pair of arms wrapped around Maya's convulsing frame, enveloping her in a tight embrace. If it had been at any other time in any other situation, Maya would have been shocked by his sudden display of affection, but she was much too preoccupied for that. Instead, she curled up against him, burying her head in his chest, her continuing sobs muffled by his ever-present fuchsia jacket. She felt so…safe, and it was a more than welcome feeling. It was strange that Edgeworth could be so open with her, when he was never open with anyone else. It would have puzzled her if it hadn't made such intuitive sense. She was never truly open with anyone else, either. Fake smiles and forced laughter were everyday defenses for Maya. Other people needed her to be happy. But Edgeworth…maybe he just needed her to be honest.

Exhausted from the physical and emotional trauma of the day, Maya felt herself slipping out of consciousness once more—but, that time, it was…peaceful. A small smile played at the corners of her lips as she let herself relax and drift off, staying awake long enough only to feel a light kiss being pressed to the top of her head.


	4. Chapter IV

**Author's Note**: …hey, guys! I'm back! I hope that you didn't think that I was just going to give up on this story. I promised myself that I wouldn't give up on it for good. I just got really sick for a while, then had a big project for my Rhetoric class, then got a promotion at work, then started playing _Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney_, then got addicted to _The Heart of Everything_, and…yeah. I got incredibly distracted with a lot of stuff.

As it stands, I am now a manager at GameStop. Yay me. I'm quite enjoying _Apollo Justice_, although I desperately miss Edgeworth. It's an entertaining game, though, to be sure. Also, Within Temptation is pretty much an amazing band. I'm incredibly obsessed with my four favorite gothic rock bands: Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, and Within Temptation. I think that some songfics might be born soon. As it stands, though, you should all go and buy _The Heart of Everything_. If you can't buy it, then listen to the songs on YouTube. Start with _The Howling_, _Frozen_, and _Our Solemn Hour_. …if you're into gothic rock, that is.

Anyways. That's enough of my rambling. This chapter is a bit longer than most, and I decided to do a few personalized review responses at the end. I also might have slipped a bit into the realm of OOC, but I sincerely hope not… I'm only half-conscious right now, seeing as though it's about 2:30am, so I don't really know. Either way, I hope that you enjoy it!

—

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney_ or _Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney_. I swear.

—

Bright, cheery sunlight filtered through the mismatched blinds in the apartment, splashing across the room. Maya's small body sprawled out across the couch in a rather ungraceful, but still incredibly endearing, manner. Her face was effectively buried in her fluffy purple pillow, bare limbs sticking out from her blanket in every which way. One pale leg was still tucked nicely under the covers, anchored down by…wait, anchored down? That didn't make any sense.

Maya's brow knitted together in semi-conscious consternation as she attempted to move her leg. Not only could she not _move_ her leg, she couldn't _feel_ it, either. That was not a good thing—not at all. Once Maya's brain finally snapped back to reality, she was conscious enough to have a million rash thoughts and fears flash through her mind. What if she was paralyzed? What if her leg wasn't even _there_? What if--?

With a sharp gasp, the girl jerked up to glance down at her leg, in a momentary panic. Instantly, she was met with large grey eyes, staring at her with shock and worry. For a few moments, all that Maya could do was blink at the girl sitting on her leg, and was met with nothing but slow blinking in return. When her mind finally cleared and Maya recognized the intruder, she let out a deep sigh of relief and slapped the palm of her hand to her forehead.

"Pearly! You nearly scared me to death!"

For a brief moment, Pearl looked a bit panicked. Hearing the word "death" wasn't the most comfortable thing for the small brunette girl, even though Maya hadn't meant it literally. Once she realized that, a bright smile reappeared on her perky face and she bounced lightly, excited that Maya had finally woken up. If she had weighed any more than a feather pillow, the bouncing motion probably would have hurt the sick girl—but, as it stood, Maya barely felt anything.

"Mystic Maya! I'm so happy that you're awake! Mr. Edgeworth went and picked me up and brought me here. Did you know that he has a really fancy car? I really liked it. The seats were comfortable and bouncy. Mr. Edgeworth told me that you were sick, and I couldn't believe it! You're never sick, Mystic Maya! But I guess that you are, so I have to stay here today and take care of you, because Mr. Edgeworth said that you definitely needed me here. I'm going to stay here and make you happy and make sure that you have everything you need—like tea and pillows and lots and lots of food!"

Maya stared blankly at her little cousin as the barrage of words poured from her small, yet inexplicably large, mouth. When it came to talking rapidly and superfluously, Pearl Fey could probably give even Wendy Oldbag a run for her money. There was one greatly distinctive difference between Pearly and Oldbag, of course: Pearl was a cutie.

Smiling brightly, Maya wiggled her leg out from its anchored position and moved to embrace her cousin, genuinely happy to see her, even though she didn't really want to be sick or weak in front of her. "I'm happy that you came, Pearly. I didn't mean to worry you at all! It's just a little cold—nothing to be upset about." She pulled back and beamed at the girl, suppressing her sudden urge to cough. "And you definitely don't have to take care of me. Why don't we just bundle up on the couch and watch my _Steel Samurai_ and _Pink Princess_ DVDs?"

Pearl appeared a bit disappointed upon hearing the fact that Maya didn't need a caretaker, but perked up when she heard mention of the two girls' favorite shows. In the briefest of instants, she slipped underneath Maya's blanket and snuggled up next to her cousin, letting her unrestrained excitement shine through. "It feels like a sleepover, Mystic Maya! It's just still light outside!"

Maya chuckled lightly, reaching for the remote for her television. Pearl always loved it when she could spend the night at Maya's apartment. They always bought junk food and gorged themselves while watching hours and hours of random television programs. Other than Maya, Pearl didn't have any close friends or people to spend a lot of time with. Phoenix was definitely there for the girl, but his involvement could only be limited. Pearl needed a maternal influence. She needed a woman, or at least an older girl, to take care of her emotional needs and give her guidance. Maya wanted to be that influence, but sometimes…she just didn't feel strong enough—good enough. Still, she wanted to protect her little cousin at all costs. Even though she really wanted to be sick alone (or perhaps with a certain someone else), she knew that Pearl needed her right then as much as she ever did. In such a case, Maya could undoubtedly sacrifice her comfort. It really wasn't that important, in the end.

The television switched on and the DVD player began to load up. Pearl could barely contain her exuberance, as per usual. Lightly biting her bottom lip, Maya glanced over at the small girl, a question suddenly rising to the surface of her mind. Pearly was so dead-set on the idea that Maya and Phoenix were deeply in love and were going to get married someday, and the possibility that such a scenario would not come to fruition would probably devastate the girl. Still…Maya really needed to know. Besides, she doubted that such an innocent question would plant the seeds of doubt in the young, clueless girl's mind.

"Hey, Pearly…where did E—_Mr._ Edgeworth go after he brought you here?"

Pearl looked a bit surprised by the question, but then merely shrugged and made nothing of it. "Probably to work. He was saying something about some case…but I don't really remember what it was. I was too worried about you! But Mr. Edgeworth always goes to work, so he's probably there."

Maya just nodded slightly, also shrugging after Pearl finished speaking. It did make sense that Edgeworth would go to work. After all, she didn't expect him to always remain at her beck and call, did she? That was simply not realistic. But the thought of him still being there when she woke up was a pleasant one, and she couldn't help but admit that she was a bit disappointed by the fact that he…wasn't. But he had brought Pearl to keep her company. Even though the action didn't produce _exactly_ the same effect that he had meant it to, it really was the thought that counted. For once, she really felt cared for.

"Alright, then. Let's get to work on watching these amazing shows, shall we?"

The two girls simply grinned at each other, then turned to devote their full attention to the television screen.

—

Light snoring filled the otherwise vacant air in Maya's apartment—but, for once, the nasally herald did not come from the sick teenager. Instead, the sound originated from the small brunette child who was curled up at the end of Maya's couch, twisted up in a pink blanket with her head nestled comfortably between two couch-cushions. The sight of her little cousin lying there, cute as can be, caused a contented smile to rest on Maya's lips. Pearly meant the world to her. If she could only accomplish one thing in her life, she would simply want to protect little Pearl and give her a happiness that Maya could never achieve. Regardless of what her mother did, Pearly didn't have to hurt for the rest of her life. What she needed was love and stability, and that's what Maya wanted to give her.

Unfortunately, Maya felt that she couldn't live up the expectations of that kind of role. Maya wasn't a mother—she really was only nineteen years old. But…she wouldn't allow herself to use that as an excuse. After all, how could she honestly use her own immaturity as a reason as to why she couldn't help Pearly? That was a kind of weakness that even she couldn't exhibit. No matter what she was feeling, no matter what she was going through, Pearly would always come first. Maybe…maybe it would be best if she moved back to Kurain as soon as possible. Maybe that's where she was most needed. Nick could do alright on his own. After all, he had Iris. Sure, she was in jail, but she would get out eventually. Then Nick would undoubtedly find his own happiness. Kurain was her home. She had to adopt her role as the new Master.

But, somehow…the thought of leaving saddened her deeply. While she had finally come to grips with her position, she knew that she would miss the life that she had found with Wright & Co. And…she couldn't shake the feeling that she would be missing out on achieving her own sense of happiness. The mere thought of such a thing shook her to the core, but yet…she had to take care of her cousin, no matter what it took. Even if she was to give up her position as Master, Pearly wasn't ready to fill the position. Since she couldn't force her to do something like that, she only had one choice. She just…couldn't help the fact that she didn't like that choice.

As the front door swung open with a creak, the sudden leap of Maya's heart, taking the place of her usual surprise and apprehension, gave her a slight clue as to why she didn't like that choice. She detangled her legs from the blanket and slipped off of the couch to greet her intruder, smiling to herself all the while. Really, he couldn't have fully known about her apprehensions when it came to Pearly, so what he did was…incredibly sweet—so sweet that she could hardly believe that he had done it.

Resting her shoulder against the wall near the door, Maya watched as Edgeworth draped his jacket over a chair—vaguely surprised that he even removed the magenta garment. His usual stolid expression occupied his features, but there was a certain comfortable gleam in his eyes that made her feel inexplicably happy.

"Hey." Her voice sounded a bit sleepy, but she could tell from the brief flicker of a smile on his face that he thought it was cute. Well, either cute or simply laughable, but she liked to think cute.

Edgeworth nodded in response to her greeting, his steely eyes flitting over to the couch in the living room. "I hope that I didn't overstep my bounds by bringing her here, or by borrowing your apartment key so that I could come and go. I had an important case in court today, but I did not think that you were in any condition to be left alone." His brow furrowed ever so slightly as he spoke. Even though she had been skeptical at first, it was obvious that he really _was_ worried about her.

"No, don't worry about it." A fragment of her usual goofy grin overtook her lips as she shook her head, her somewhat-kempt hair gliding over her still-bare shoulders. "Thank you for bringing Pearly here. It was…good for both of us." Idly pulling at the fringe of her tank-top, she lightly bit her bottom lip and glanced down—hesitating slightly. "I hope that this hasn't been too inconvenient for you. I…know that I tend to get in the way of things, and…I don't want to interfere with your work." She smiled apologetically and lifted her gaze somewhat. "You and Nick might be on opposite ends of the courtroom, but your job is just as important as his."

Edgeworth listened in silence, then let out a deep sigh, placing his hand lightly on the top of Maya's head. He attempted to frown at her and look stern, but his sense of amusement clearly shone through. "Maya, I am doing all of this of my own free will. You are not interfering with anything. Do not even think of it as interference, in the first place. I would not even be here if I did not care. That much should be obvious."

Wide-eyed, Maya blinked up at the towering man. Based on his recent actions, it was pretty obvious that he cared about her, but…hearing him say it was something different entirely. It made her feel important, which was incredibly rare for her. Still, though…as a curious girl by nature, she couldn't just rest in that warm, fuzzy feeling. There was a question pulling at the back of her mind, and she knew that she had to ask it.

"…why _do_ you care, Edgeworth?"

There was a slight pause, then Edgeworth sighed once more. "I care because…I do, Maya." An edge of irritation colored his voice, but it wasn't an irritation that was directed towards Maya. It was an irritation that was born from his own confusion. Retracting his hand, he swept his silver bangs from his eyes. "As I'm sure that you know, I lose my usual eloquence when it comes to speaking of my feelings."

With her arms clasped behind her back and her wide onyx eyes staring up at him, Maya was the proverbial picture of innocence. Her curiosity was gnawing at her insides, but she stubbornly decided to not let that fact show. Instead, she merely canted her head to the side slightly and spoke simply. "Just try."

Edgeworth appeared so entirely confused that it was almost disheartening to the poor girl. However, she did understand that he was conflicted. The man hardly ever spoke of anything that didn't have to do with the legal system or beating Nick with the sheer force of his logic and objections. Maya knew that there was a wonderful, sensitive person inside his shell; he had shown glimpses of that person several times in her presence. He just…really needed to learn how to let it sh—

Her train of thought was suddenly cut off by the sensation of a sudden pressure being applied to her lips. Eyes widening as far as they physically could, Maya realized that Edgeworth's hand had found its way behind her head and he had stooped down in order to press his lips to hers in a…kiss. It would have been an understatement to say that she was shocked. It wasn't that the situation was necessarily _unpleasant_, it was just that it was so incredibly _unexpected_. Maya simply didn't know what to do. She had never been kissed before, and especially not by someone like…_him_. In an act of nothing short of pure panic, the girl completely froze.

Suddenly realizing what he had done and snapping out of whatever had possessed him, Edgeworth drew back, completely releasing Maya and taking a step back. Self-condemnation was written clearly on his face, and seeing him so obviously pained jumpstarted Maya's cognitive abilities. Stepping forward, immediately desperate to explain her reaction, she grabbed his hand and frowned in disappointment with herself.

"Edgeworth, I—"

"…Mystic Maya?"

Upon hearing a small voice murmur her name, Maya snapped her head back to glance at her couch and saw her small cousin sitting up and blearily rubbing her eyes. The poor child appeared entirely disoriented and a bit frightened by the fact that Maya was no longer where she had been before she had drifted off to sleep. Maya attempted to convey her apology through her expression as she loosed her grip on Edgeworth's hand and slipped away to take care of Pearl. Her entire body was trembling as she perched herself on the edge of the couch, running her fingers lightly over the girl's soft brown hair.

"It's okay, Pearly. I didn't go anywhere. I just got up to let Mr. Edgeworth in."

Pearly blinked slightly, squinting in the general direction of the front door. "…Mystic Maya, Mr. Edgeworth isn't here. Where did he go?"

At first, Pearl's words surprised Maya, because Edgeworth was standing right there. But then a certain anxiety overtook her senses as a realization dawned on her and she also turned to look towards the front door.

He was gone. Somehow, he had slipped out of the front door without her noticing. Wincing, she internally cursed at herself for being stupid enough to let him go. She didn't want him to feel that way. He hadn't done anything wrong. Was it too much to ask for a chance to explain herself?

Turning back to Pearl, she forced a smile to her lips—a smile that she wished she didn't have to produce. "He went back home, Pearly. He just wanted to make sure that everything was okay."

Pearly smiled sleepily, curling up against Maya, too half-conscious to notice the older girl's trembling. "Mr. Edgeworth sure is thoughtful."

"Yes…he is." Maya wrapped an arm around her cousin, sinking back into the soft couch. "He is." And she certainly was going to make sure that he wouldn't ever regret it.

—

**Review Responses**

**A.Syndikai**: …hahaha. This one was a bit fluffier than the last one. I hope that you enjoyed it.

**Magic-Noise**: Thanks very much! I know that we never really see "sad Maya" in the games, but she's not as shallow as she initially comes off. She has to hide that sadness inside somewhere.

**Tilea**: Aww, thank you! I promise that I won't beat myself up anymore. I do hope that I didn't slip into OOC with this chapter, though. I'm not entirely sure about it…but I still won't beat myself up! And I hope that you still love the story, because I still enjoy writing it.

**Pen and Paper71**: Yeah, that's a very good point. I did think about it at first, but, honestly…writing "Mr. Edgeworth" all of the time just didn't feel right. It wasn't how I envisioned she'd speak in that particular situation, so I changed it. But I probably take more liberties than I should. Thanks for your feedback!

**Kawaii Overdose**: I sincerely hope that I've turned you into an Edgeworth/Maya supporter! It really is one of my favorite pairings. I just think that they fit so well together. Thank you very much for your kind words. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that you still enjoy the pairing.

**Stormy**: Haha, thank you! I hope that this chapter made you go "aw," as well.

**gyaku tard**: I'm so happy that you really love it! I hope that you didn't think this chapter went too terribly OOC. Thank you for your review!


	5. Chapter V

**Author's Note**: Okay, guys, I'm back! Again, thanks for the reviews. They mean a lot to me, really. I'm really proud of myself for being able to continue this story, despite the fact that I'm an incredible flake. I'm such a great procrastinator that it's really, really bad.

So, yes, I'm still utterly addicted to _The Heart of Everything_. I'm actually listening to it right now. I have about a half hour before I have to leave for work, so I rushed the ending of this chapter a bit so that I could upload it before I leave. I'm not entirely pleased with the ending, but it's the best that I can do right now. I'm exhausted.

Oh, and I'm about halfway into the last case of _Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney_. I still don't like the characters _quite_ as much as I like the _PW_ characters, but Klavier and Ema are dynamic. I am definitely going to be writing some Klavier/Ema fanfiction in the [possibly near future. Whoo!

Anyways. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed or just…doesn't fit in with the rest of the story. Like I said, I'm absolutely exhausted and simply can't tell.

Enjoy!

—

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything, alright? I own absolutely nothing. …well, relatively, anyways.

—

"No, no, no, no, _no_!"

With a growl of frustration, Maya furiously scrubbed her face with a dampened washcloth, her brow furrowed deeply in a rather uncharacteristic manner. Her face shone bright red, and a bit of a black substance ran underneath her eyes. Maya had never been one to wear makeup. In fact, she had never even learned how to apply the god-forsaken stuff. So, no matter how many times she tried to get it right, she ended up looking like a clown or a prostitute, and those were _not_ personas that she ever wanted to portray. In the end, it seemed that she would just have to live with her naturally flawed features.

Sighing, the irritated teenager practically attacked her long black tresses with a hairbrush. A few coughs erupted from her chest as she attempted to keep her hair in order. She usually kept it up in what many people incorrectly called a "top knot," but, ever since she had her breakdown, she had let it fall freely over her shoulders, finding that it was much more comfortable that way. Still, her hair was so boring—so flat. Everything about herself was annoying to the girl. She had always been somewhat self-conscious about her appearance, but never really had a good reason to care too much. But…that wasn't the case anymore.

Earlier in the day, Maya had paused to consider why it was that she cared so much about looking attractive. It didn't take her too long to arrive at an answer. Edgeworth…well, she had never really gotten a chance to get to know him better—or, if she had, she never took that chance. Regardless of that fact, she knew that they had a certain connection. They could understand each other in a way that no one else could. Maybe that wasn't enough to keep that together…maybe that wasn't enough for them to ever be truly _happy_…but it was a start. As it stood, she knew that he felt _something_ for her, and she knew that she cared about him, so at least she didn't have to face the fear of unrequited affection. She just…had to convince Edgeworth that she wasn't hurt by his actions or angry with him at all, and she was getting the feeling that it wouldn't be easy.

Maya stopped to examine her appearance in the mirror, a look of anxiety etched in her features. Her raven hair framed her face nicely, but she had hoped to cover up her blotchy skin and the dark bags underneath her eyes. The stress that she had endured over the past weeks had done terrible things to her body, but it really couldn't be helped. It was better to look exhausted and strained than it was to look like a cheap hooker. Although, it would be hard to look like a cheap hooker in her traditional spirit-medium garb. She had contemplated wearing something more "normal," but that just wasn't like her at all. Maya never went out into public without her purple robes.

Nick had offered to take Pearly out to get some ice-cream, and Maya had enthusiastically taken him up on his offer. Because of Edgeworth's care and the great amount of sleep that she had been getting, she was feeling much better and was over her physical illness, for the most part. Still, it was better that she didn't take Pearly anywhere, in case something happened to her while they were out. Besides, the little girl was really fond of the personable attorney, so it was good for her to spend some time with him. Nick was something of an uncle to the child—which seemed fitting, since he was something of a brother to Maya. It was good for both of the girls to have some positive male influence in their lives. But, disappointingly for Pearly, Maya knew that she could never be romantically interested in Nick. Sure, she had harbored a slight crush on him when they first met, but it was never more than that. And, apart from the crush, she was sure that it was exactly the same on Nick's end. Iris was the love of his life, and maybe they could work on picking up where they left off. The thought brought a small smile to Maya's lips. She was happy for him.

After a few moments, she tore herself away from the mirror and shuffled into her kitchen, downing a few painkillers and blowing out a breath as she rested her forehead against a cabinet. Butterflies flitted to and fro in her stomach—her anxiety making itself incredibly difficult to ignore. Why was she so afraid of him? She had never let herself be so unnerved by anyone ever before. Her mind kept returning to the moment when she realized that he was kissing her, and guilt weighed down her heart because of the fact that she had let herself freeze up completely. She should have let him know how she felt. She should have thanked him for everything that he had done. She should have…well, she should have done anything other than what she actually did.

A loud honk sounded outside of her apartment, and she jumped in surprise and slight panic. It didn't take her long, however, to realize that the taxi that she had called about a half-hour ago had finally arrived to take her to the courthouse. Ever since the "incident" the night before, Edgeworth had not contacted her—and, even though she knew that he had been at work and unable to return to her apartment, she didn't think that he would be back. Edgeworth obviously cared deeply about her well-being, but he felt that he had hurt her, and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for it until she made the effort to show that she had already forgiven him.

"Coming, coming," she muttered to herself, picking up a bag full of medical supplies, just in case she started feeling terrible again. Her sandals slipped easily onto her small feet, and she had the sudden wisdom to pocket her house-key before stumbling out of her apartment and into the world beyond, locking the door behind her.

—

"…good lord…"

Maya did a mental face-fault as she stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the courthouse. She had climbed those steps many times before, but had never really noticed how many steps there were and how steep the hill was. Of course, she usually had more energy than a child hyped up on soda and chocolate, but that wasn't the case anymore. The girl was beyond exhausted already, and she hadn't even placed her foot on the first step. How she was going to survive the long, harsh trek up those stairs was more than beyond her ability to comprehend. But she was going to do it. She _had_ to do it.

Her little foot felt like a thirty-pound cinder block as she picked it up and plopped it down on the smooth surface of the first step. She was hoping that it would get easier as she went along, but she was wrong—oh so very wrong. By the time that she reached the top, she was so winded that she dropped to her knees and simply sat there for a few minutes, huffing and puffing like she weighed two-hundred pounds and had just run a marathon. It was pathetic, and prompted all passers-by to give her incredibly strange looks. A few people offered to help her, but she was too proud to let them pull her up to her feet. She did let one nice woman give her a drink of water, however. She was proud, but she had no particular interest in letting herself get dehydrated. Her health was already bad enough, as it stood.

The courthouse seemed to be…moving. Well, not _moving_, exactly, just kind of…swimming. But Maya figured that swimming qualified as moving, so making the distinction between the two didn't really make much sense, did it? The poor girl was definitely not in control of her mental functions—or her ability to move, it seemed. Her progress towards the front desk seemed sluggish and awkward, but she finally made it there. In a desperate motion, she threw her full weight against the tall mahogany desk, barely coherent enough to ask the question that was on her mind.

"Where…Prosecutor Edgeworth…what room…?"

Okay, so, she didn't exactly _ask_ the question that was on her mind, but she got out a few understandable words in an order that made a semi-complete phrase. The woman behind the desk stared at her with wide eyes for a few moments, then leaned forward, concern clearly etched on her face, and reached for the phone.

"Miss, do you need me to call a doctor? You appear to be in need of medical attention. There are some doctors on call, ac"

"No!" Maya mustered enough energy to shout that one word…much louder than she had intended to. "No…no doctor…" There were few things in the world that Maya hated more than doctors and hospitals and needles. Nothing about seeing a doctor appealed to her. After all, Edgeworth could take far better care of her than any doctor ever could. "I just…need to see…Prosecutor Edgeworth…" She was practically wheezing by that point, silently pleading with the woman to, please, for the love of all that was holy in the universe, let her stop talking and just tell her where Edgeworth was.

After a few minutes of silence, the woman lowered herself back down to a sitting position, a frown replacing the concerned expression that had previously occupied her features. "Miss, I'm sorry, but Prosecutor Edgeworth is in the middle of a trial right now, and, unless you are related to the trial in some way, I cannot grant you admittance. Now, if you just take a seat over there, I will call a physician to take a look at you and make sure that you're truly alright."

Once more, the woman didn't even have a chance to pick up the phone. Finding her second wind, Maya slammed down her fist on the desk, attempting to glare at the stunned receptionist. Unfortunately for the teenager, her "glare" came across as more of a pout than anything else. "I have decisive evidence in Edgeworth's case! You have to show me where he is!"

At that sudden proclamation, everyone in the room turned to stare at Maya. Some were horrified that she was impudent enough to have such an outburst. Some couldn't believe that such an "important witness" had been left out of the proverbial loop of the illustrious Prosecutor Edgeworth's case. Most of all, however, they were surprised by the sudden appearance of a sickly teenager robed in traditional spirit-medium garb. A few of them might have recognized her, but, if they did, they certainly didn't show it. The receptionist merely stared at her for a few moments, then picked up the phone and dialed an extension. At first, Maya was afraid that she really was going to call a doctor, but the murmured phone conversation didn't seem to be moving in that direction. In all honesty, though, Maya couldn't hear most of what was said. Her ears were buzzing and her head was throbbing. It was the perfect combination.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the woman hung up and turned her steady, yet subtly perturbed, gaze on the medium. "You can wait in the lobby for the courtroom and can bring your 'decisive evidence' to the prosecutor during the next recess. Be prepared to wait, however, because the trial could continue for quite some time."

Flooded with relief, Maya smiled wearily. "Thank you. I understand."

Oh, Maya _understood_, but she had no intention of waiting. Maya had no fear when it came to interrupting trials, and she almost always knew how to get what she wanted. When getting what she wanted included interrupting a trial…well, that just came down to experience, and Maya had more than enough experience.

—

"…I must say, your Honor, that I am shocked and appalled by the obvious lack of logical reasoning shown by the defense. This supposed 'stand-in' bears no actual resemblance to the defendant, and it would be hard to make this kind of mistake in broad daylight. The defense is simply pulling at straws and praying for a miracle, but the facts are simple, and they all point to one thing: the defendant is guilty of murder in the first degree. No amount of twisted evidence will change that."

As always, Prosecutor Edgeworth was cool, calm, and collected. While the defense lawyer was sweating profusely and desperately leafing through the court record, Edgeworth merely stood there, tapping his fingers on his arm, with the most composed expression possible. In the courtroom, things rarely fazed the silver-haired man, which was usually due to the fact that he was almost always right.

"Well? Does the defense have anything to say in, erm, _defense_ of itself?"

Everyone in the courtroom did a mental face-fault. The judge obviously thought that he was hilarious, but that simply was not the case—at _all_. The defense lawyer, apparently some relatively unknown rookie, resisted the urge to begin stuttering and attempted to compose himself for the sake of his client.

"Well, your honor, I have to say that—"

"OBJECTION!"

A voice rang loud throughout the courtroom, and everyone stopped speaking, shocked by the sudden interruption. Judge looked to attorney, attorney looked to prosecutor, and prosecutor, for once, appeared incredibly flustered and taken aback. The objection hadn't even come from the defendant, much to the surprise of almost everyone. It seemed that, by that point, only Edgeworth had managed to figure out where the sudden outburst had come from. By the door of the courtroom stood a deathly pale, raven-haired teenager who was shaking all over and seemed about ready to pass out at any given moment. Eventually, all eyes turned to her—everyone still stuck in a surprised silence. Edgeworth about lurched from behind his stand, but restrained himself at the last moment, frowning. If she had come to say something, then he knew that there was no stopping her. Maya was just stubborn that way.

Swallowing nervously, Maya took a small step forward, wobbling a bit as she did so. "Your Honor…I…um…" Apparently, even though her health had improved significantly over the past few days, she was not yet well enough to make that kind of trek. The fact that she had been so worried and stressed about how she made Edgeworth feel certainly didn't help anything. "I…"

Suddenly, she felt overcome by dizziness and began swaying dangerously. She struggled valiantly to keep her eyes wide open, fully intending to ask nicely for a conference with the handsome prosecutor, but she couldn't keep a grip on her consciousness. As her legs gave out from underneath her, she heard various gasps and screams, but only one person managed to yell out her name. Before losing consciousness completely, Maya winced, attempting to mentally brace herself for the impact with the hard floor, but the impact never came. She didn't have a chance to figure out why, however—almost immediately, she passed out.

—

With a small, almost whining, groan, Maya turned her head to the side, struggling to open her eyes. The light that streamed through her semi-open eyelids threatened to blind her, causing her to groan even louder than before. After the second groan, a rustling was heard, and someone was suddenly right next to the prostrate girl.

"Maya." The voice was deep and rich, but even he couldn't hide the deep worry that he felt. "Maya, can you hear me?"

Still squinting a bit, Maya glanced up at the man standing over her. If she had been healthier, her face would have turned completely red. But, as it stood, the only thing that she could do was attempt a sheepish smile.

"That was some objection, huh?"

Edgeworth's trademark scowl was softened a bit by genuine concern—a sight that very few people ever got the chance to see. His hand lightly glided over Maya's forehead, brushing her bangs out of her eyes without really touching her, as if he was afraid of hurting the delicate girl. Maya took a moment to realize that she was lying on a rather comfortable bench in the courtroom lobby, with Edgeworth kneeling right by her side. Since when did Edgeworth kneel, anyways?

"Maya…what were you thinking?"

Maya could tell that part of him wanted to scold her for interrupting his trial. She was actually mildly surprised that he didn't. She knew that his work was more important to him than anything else in the world, and there was a distinct possibility that she had created more work for him by giving the defense more time to strengthen its case. Edgeworth would still win in the end, though. That much was obvious.

"I'm…sorry, Edgeworth." Ashamed of her impulsive and irrational behavior, the girl broke contact with his steely gaze. "I didn't mean to make things more difficult for you. I just…I had to see you. You didn't come back, and that scared me. I…needed a chance to explain myself, and I didn't see any other way to make sure that I had your full attention…"After a few moments, she mustered up the strength to gaze up at him once more, only to be met by the rare sight of a surprised and confused expression on the prosecutor's face.

"Why would you need to explain yourself to me? I…was the one who acted foolishly." The barest glimpse of a wince flinched in Edgeworth's features as he said the word "foolishly." Was it possible that Franziska had caught wind of what had happened between them? That…was unlikely, but not impossible. Maya suddenly felt extremely sorry for the man.

"No, you didn't. Really!" Maya attempted to gather her strength and fight her way to a sitting position, but, in the end, required Edgeworth's assistance to arrive at her apparently lofty goal. As he scooted a chair over to sit in front of the bench, Maya lightly chewed on her lower lip, feeling awful and embarrassed. How had she managed to make everything so awkward? She really was an idiot. "It wasn't you…really…I was just so surprised that I completely…froze…" The medium frowned deeply, incredibly disappointed by the fact that she couldn't just come out and say what she felt. Her mouth, brain, and heart obviously weren't connected very well. Or perhaps her health, or blatant lack thereof, was getting in the way.

Edgeworth let out a deep sigh, looking down at his folded hands. "Maya, regardless of how you reacted, what I did was unwarranted and inappropriate. I will not make excuses for myself, and I do not expect you to do so, either. Your reaction was a much-needed wake-up call, and I apologize for the discomfort that I caused you. I am the last person that you should ever worry about."

"…that's not true! Edgeworth, I…" Maya trailed off, unable to decide on what to say next. Anything and everything seemed far too risky, but since when had she cared about taking a risk? It was just…everything with Edgeworth was so different than anything that she had ever encountered before. What was she supposed to do?

A sad smile laced Edgeworth lips as he patted her gently on the top of her head. "It's alright. I understand completely." Pulling himself to his feet, the magenta-clad prosecutor stared at the floor for a few moments in complete silence, then composed himself and stared stolidly at the girl in front of him. "I will call Wright and ask him to pick you up. The staff here agreed to refrain from calling an ambulance under the condition that I get you medical attention myself, so please remind him to take you to see a doctor. No one wants anything else to happen to you."

Before he had the chance to turn completely and walk away, Maya was on her feet in front of him, surrounded by an aura of defiance. In a somewhat uncharacteristic motion, she tugged harshly on his jacket's lapels, jerking him down to her level. He didn't even have a chance to protest or resist before her lips covered his, rendering them useless. It was obvious that it would take nothing less to get his attention and make him listen to her before running off with his annoying preconceived misconceptions. Her sudden burst of energy came from frustration and a new sense of desperation. She had finally gotten to see him for who he really was, and she wasn't going to let him go that easily.

It didn't take long for him to return the kiss, even though he was hesitant at first. His strong hand stroked the hair at the back of her head, causing her to smile a bit to herself as she allowed her eyes to flutter shut. The courthouse wasn't exactly the most romantic environment, but that didn't matter one bit.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, Edgeworth drew back, his grey eyes clouded over with hundreds of mixed emotions. It was painfully obvious that he had never been in such a position before. Maya knew that he was chased by women, but he had never pursued any of them. Their feelings were foreign territory for both of them. Thus, in unfamiliarity, they had something in common.

"…are you sure about this?" His voice sounded incredulous, but there was obviously a disbelieving hope in its depths.

All that Maya could do was smile embarrassedly, a blush finally finding its way to her cheeks. "More sure than I've ever been about anything." She realized that such a statement might not mean a lot, seeing as though she was rarely ever _certain_ about anything, but…for once, she was. And she wasn't going to let little details ruin that fact.

Edgeworth searched her face for a sign of uneasiness, knowing that Maya was an honest girl but still feeling that such a confession was simply too good to be true, but found nothing to confirm his fears. In light of that encouraging fact, he let a small smile overtake his features. "Then I have but one request."

Canting her head to the side a bit, Maya gazed up at him inquisitively. "Okay… What is it?"

Without warning, Edgeworth learned down to briefly press his lips to hers one more time. The action wasn't nearly as awkward as it had been before. Maya knew that he was still getting used to the thought of being deeply attached to someone else, but his rather immediate and dramatic change in demeanor was more than encouraging. Her drew back slowly, letting a hand rest on her cheek, his eyes smiling instead of his lips.

"Call me 'Miles.'"

—

**Review Responses**

**Tilea** – Thank you! It's such a great CD, isn't it? You should definitely listen to Nightwish if you haven't already. They're brilliant. And, yeah, you're right. "Edgeworth in love" is really hard to write. …well, Edgeworth himself is hard to write, on a whole, but having him be blatantly affectionate and such…is quite the challenge.

**A.Syndikai** – Thanks so much for your review! Yeah, it's definitely a challenge to write. But I'm enjoying it! …when I'm awake, that is. I'm about ready to pass out right now. The cast of _Apollo Justice_ is pretty hard to get used to, but it's still a great game. I'm enjoying it immensely.

**Kawaii Overdose** – Ahahaha. "Fangirl 'splodey." I love that! I'm so happy that you're still enjoying the story. Thank you so much for your input! I hope that you have the same opinion about this chapter. Within Temptation is amazing! You _definitely_ need to check out their music. If you love the other three bands, then you'll love WT, as well. I'm absolutely obsessed.

**momiji-k** – Thanks for your reviews! Haha, yeah, I've been working for GameStop for a year now and _finally_ got promoted. I'm so happy. But it's exhausting. I'm sure that you'll love _Apollo Justice_. All of the games are great.


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